Second Language, the label releasing The Weighing of the Heart, run a suscription system whereby by suscribing to get the next 5 releases of the label (including my album), you will get an exclusive item with each album. For The Weighing… , we asked Iker Spozio, the author of almost all of my artwork so far, to make some hand-made prints: Iker made 6 different linoleum engravings, and printed 25 copies of each. You can see the engravings and part of the process below: no machine whatsoever is involved, it really is all done by hand, one colour at a time.

The majority of the prints are already reserved for current suscribers, but there are a few left for new suscribers, so if you’re tempted, go here (of course this is while stocks last, so if you really are suscribing to get a print, be sure to ask beforehand !).

I’ll be playing live in Crystal palace (South London) at the very intimate Antenna Studios (65-capacity) on 7th June, with Klima opening. Only 50 tickets are available, so grab these while you can! More details in the FUTURE SHOWS section.

I’m also finally able to announce the first gigs that will open my May-June small European tour: I’ve chosen one of my favourite countries, Portugal, as the place to do my first concerts after more than 4 years away from the stage. I’ve always felt really comfortable and welcome in Portugal, so I didn’t doubt for a second that this was where I would make my “comeback” ;-) So get ready Lisbon, Coimbra and Guimarães on May 23rd, 24th and 25th!

It is also with lots of excitement that I’m going back to Dublin, another place I love for its warm audiences, and I’m told that the Unitarian Church is stunning, so I hope that many of you will come to this show on May 31st!

All details in the Live Shows / Future Shows section. And there will be many more shows this autumn and dates will be posted over the summer.

Second Language preorder

Finally, Second Language, the label that is releasing The Weighing of the Heart, are now taking preorders on their website. Please know that if you buy the album directly from the label, both the label and myself greatly benefit from this, so if your idea by buying the album is to support us, then indeed their website is the best place to do this!

The opening track of my new album The Weighing of the Heart, “Push The Boat Onto The Sand”, can now be heard exclusively on FACT magazine, here. I hope you will enjoy this first peek into the album’s sonic world!

Some of you will know Makino Takashi’s name from previous posts where I mentioned screenings of a short film he made in 2009 and for which I composed exclusive music, “While we are here”.
Makino was an apprentice of the Brothers Quay and has since gone on to pursue his own brand of “experimental” film, garnering much acclaim and including among his regular collaborators Jim O’Rourke.

Makino has made a beautiful video for “Humming fields”, one of the songs off my new album The Weighing of the Heart, and if you live in Tokyo you will be able to see the video for the first time at the film festival organized by Makino himself, Makino Takashi Film Festival at Uplink Factory, Tokyo, on April 13th 2013.